South Africans are starting to feel the full effects of load-shedding and the rising petrol price.
Statistics released on Tuesday paint a gloomy picture of the financial health of the industrial sector and a widespread loss of white-collar jobs.
According to the Stats SA quarterly statistics‚ load-shedding and fuel costs were responsible for the biggest drop in turnover since 2010 in seven of South Africa’s eight key industries.
The statistics for the first three months of the year show turnover for the eight industries dropped 5.2%‚ from R2-trillion in the previous quarter to R1.9-trillion.
Only personal services‚ which cover aspects such as private medical care‚ saw an increase in turnover‚ of 2.8%‚ on the final quarter of last year. Mining‚ manufacturing‚ electricity‚ construction‚ trade‚ transport and business services all recorded drops.